The present invention relates to a handle device for an audio equipment such as a car stereo or a portable stereo, and more particularly to a handle device having a lock mechanism for an audio equipment mounted on a vehicle.
The car stereo is mounted in a dashboard of the motor vehicle. The process for mounting the car stereo in the dashboard is a very troublesome work, so that it takes a long time with labor to attach the car stereo.
On the other hand, in order to prevent the stealing of the car stereo, there has been provided a car stereo which is detachably mounted in a holder secured to the dashboard so that the car stereo can be taken out by the user.
FIG. 8 shows a conventional detachable car stereo. A holder 1 having an opening 1a is secured to a dashboard of a motor vehicle (not shown). A body of a car stereo 2 having a handle 3 is detachably mounted in the holder 1 passing through the opening 1a. The handle 3 is rotatably mounted on the car stereo 2 by screws 4.
The car stereo body 2 is pushed in the holder 1 and pulled out from the holder 1 by the handle 3 as shown by arrows.
FIG. 9 shows a lock device of the handle 3. The handle 3 is provided with a hole 4b for the screw 4 and a recess 3b formed on an upper portion of the hole 4. The car stereo body 2 is provided with a threaded hole 4a formed in a side plate 2a thereof for the screw 4 corresponding to the hole 4b of the handle 3, and a projection 3a outwardly projected from the upper portion of the hole 4a corresponding to the recess 3b of the handle 3.
When the car stereo body 2 is mounted in the holder 1, the handle 3 is set on a predetermined receiving position, where the projection 3a engages with the recess 3b. Thus, the handle 3 is locked.
In order to take out the car stereo body 2 from the holder 1, the handle 3 is pivoted in the opposite direction by fingernails of the user to disengage the projections 3a from the recesses 3b, and then, the stereo is pulled out.
However, in the conventional device, the projections 3a engages with the recess 3b without a click. Consequently, operation feeling is bad. Further, it is difficult to pull out the handle 3 from the retracted position by the fingernails.
FIG. 10 shows another example of the conventional detachable car stereo in which 1 push arm 3c is provided for pulling a handle 3'. The handle 3' is rotatably mounted on the body 2 of the car stereo at the opposite side portions of an operation panel 2b by shafts 4c. The push arm 3c is adapted to forwardly rotate the handle 3' when the push arm 3c is compressed toward the body 2.
However, since the push arm 3c is provided near the shaft 4c, a large force is required to push the arm 3c. Furthermore, the handle 3' and the push arm 3c are made of metal plate so that it is inharmonious with the operation panel 2b made of plastic. Therefore, the appearance of the operation panel 2b is bad.
FIG. 11 shows a further example of the conventional detachable car stereo without a handle.
A car stereo body 2' has engaging members (not shown) provided on the opposite side portions thereof. When the body 2' is mounted in the holder 1, the engaging members engage with the holder 1. A pair of release tools 2c are provided for removing the car stereo 2' from the holder 1. The engaging members are moved by the release tools 2c to release the engagement. Thus, the car stereo 2' can be pulled out from the holder 1.